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Stephen’s Window January 2017

Dear Parish Family and Friends,

This month we move from the season of Christmas to the season of Epiphany. Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, is also known in many cultures as “Little Christmas.” The feast commemorates the arrival of the wise men from the East at the manger in Bethlehem, and the Gospel reading for that day is the story of the wise men as told by Matthew (Matt. 2:1-12). We will hear it at our service on the evening of January 6 at 7:30 PM in the Teer Chapel.

Epiphany is also known as the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. In other words, we celebrate the coming of the Light into the world for all people. John’s gospel gives us the most striking and poetic imagery of this coming, a reading we will have heard on Christmas Day this year (Sunday, December 25 at our regular services of 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM). John’s vision of the Light (Christ) shining in the darkness is both familiar and powerful. In order to grasp its depth and richness, let’s look at several translations of the key verse, John 1:5…

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (King James Version)

The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out. (The Message)

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light. (Common English Bible)

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (New International Version)

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (New Revised Standard Version)

And the Ohr shines in the choshech [TEHILLIM 18:28], and the choshech did not grasp it. [YESHAYAH 9:1] (Orthodox

Jewish Bible)

In some cases the difference in the tense of verb identifies the interaction between darkness and light (past tense versus present tense). The tense changes suggest that even though Christ came into the world at a specific time and place long ago, the relationship and interaction continue into the present moment. In other cases, the darkness is characterized as an impersonal force attempting to “overcome” or “extinguish” the light. The alternative characterization is one of agency, that is, the darkness is personified, even rational, adept and proficient at things, though not of “comprehending,” or understanding, or “grasping” the Light (literally? metaphorically?).

Suddenly the passage takes on more nuanced and much richer meaning. I would refer you to a sermon by Br. Mark Brown of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, an Episcopal order of monks in Cambridge, MA that may be found online at http://ssje.org/ssje/2013/01/06/the-manifestation-of-christ-in-the-gentiles-br-mark-brown/. In it, Br. Mark gives the example of Mother Theresa of Calcutta who was, he says, “a brilliant epiphany of the love of God because she saw Christ in the suffering, she recognized the manifestation of Christ in the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. She had eyes to see.” The Light also showed forth powerfully in her and in what she did because she allowed herself to become a place where Christ was at home, made manifest. May we also find new ways in this New Year to let the Light shine forth in us and in our parish!

Keep the faith. Share the joy. See you in church. Faithfully,

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 82 Kimberly Drive, Durham, NC 27707

January 2017

stephen’s window

From the Rector

Stephen’s Window 2 January 2017

Dear Friends,

Beginning with Advent, we had a very successful launch, both of the activity bags and of the new chapel service offered to younger children during the Sunday service. Parents and children have responded enthusiastically to enhancing our welcome of children at St. Stephen’s, and I encourage you to spread the word and to invite children and families you know (or are related to!) to join us. To share the good news even further, we are submitting the following article to The Disciple, our diocesan magazine, for possible publication. Thank you for supporting and encouraging our ministry with children at St. Stephen’s!

Faithfully,

Stephen Elkins-Williams

“Welcome Children!” That is the message greeting children each Sunday at St. Stephen’s in Durham. A table displaying that banner offers baskets full of activities to be used in church. The younger children choose an inviting red bag with Noah’s ark animals

peeking out, as well as a Lift-The Flap Bible board book, a tablet and crayons, and a clipboard containing that day’s liturgy activity sheet. The older children also pick up crayons and a clipboard with their age-appropriate liturgy sheet.

The idea of the bags and the clipboards has been spearheaded by Betsy Elkins-Williams after she saw them offered during services at Duke Chapel. Working with Director of Education and Programming, Jeremy Godwin, she put together twenty bags, most of which are used every Sunday. Once inside the door, the children make a beeline for their table!

In addition, the younger children now have a chapel service of their own during the sermon and through the Peace. They follow a crucifer out to the chapel where they sing to a guitar or keyboard, hear a Bible story, pray together, and learn about the liturgical year. After following the crucifer back into the church, they are eager to resume using their activity bags and to feeling welcomed in worship.

From the Priest-In-Residence The Gospel According to Isaiah: An 8 week study of the Book of Isaiah Beginning January 15 Led by Seminarian Anthony Calzia

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD, sitting on his thrown, high and lifted up..." So begins the career of a prophet, maybe the prophet of prophets because the book of Isaiah, which is actually one book in three parts, has influenced our own Christian story more than any other Prophetic book. King Uzziah was one of the most successful kings in Judah, second only to King Solomon himself. His death began a time of intense anxiety and fear for the people of God, a time marked by threats from hostile foreign powers, economic upheavals, the abuse of the poor and downtrodden...sound familiar? Daily we read in the news or on Facebook or Twitter a constant flow of messages that threaten to distract us from our walks with God in Christ. The Book of Isaiah has a message for us, as the people of God, and if we are willing to hear it, we will be prepared to stand without fear in the face of a scary world, serving Christ in all persons, and living God's good news in Jesus. This 8-week study of the Book of Isaiah will help you gain an understanding of the history and theology of the book of Isaiah, encourage personal Bible study, and hopefully draw you more deeply into the story of our faith, one that not only reveals the faith of our ancient family Israel, but how their faith shapes our faith in Jesus Christ, the root and branch of Jesse. You are welcome, please come!

The Nursery is open, and Sunday School classes are also available for children, so families please join us!

Anthony Calzia

"Peaceable Kingdom With Two Olives" Metal Print by Will Bullas The painting above is an interpretation of Isaiah’s vision of

worldwide harmony found in Isaiah 11:6.

Adult Faith Formation

http://www.earthwoodgalleries.com/peaceable-kingdom-with-two-olives-metal-print-by-will-bullas-8x8/


Clyde Stephens blowing out the candles for his birthday on

From the Director of Christian Education and Programming To the St. Stephen’s family: As I’m sure you’re aware, even though this is the January newsletter, the articles are written in early to mid-December. Perhaps it is the busy nature of the season or just a classic case of writer’s block, but this month, the words are not coming easily. When I find myself in this situation, I read other people’s words. I think about what they are writing and how they put words together. I whisper prayers and jot down insights that arise from the pages. Of course, I know I am not alone in this. The wonderful response that Ellen Baer has received to her Recommended Reads column evinces the important role that reading plays in many of your lives. Fraser Watts, in his essay, “The sonnets and liturgy,” reminds us that there is a rich (and ancient) tradition in the Church of including readings—other than those from Scripture—in the liturgy. In fact, quite a few lectionaries over the centuries have included non-biblical readings in their rotations. Even in our own Anglican tradition, Thomas Cranmer included selections from saints’ biographies on their festival days in an early draft of the first Book of Common Prayer. This is a tradition that has been revived of late in the Episcopal Church (albeit in a different form), with the publication of a new resource, A Great Cloud of Witnesses. At its core, it is a calendar of commemorations, a “family history” of those “who have inspired and challenged us from the time of the New Testament to the present” (p. xiii). The book contains a brief biography and collect for each person. It is intended both as an educational tool and as a source for individual devotion and corporate worship. In the latter sense, it is directly in line with this ancient tradition of reading from a wide variety of sources as a vital part of one’s spiritual life. Another set of such materials intended both for individual and corporate use is a collection of sonnets, Sounding the Seasons, by Anglican poet Malcolm Guite, that takes the reader or worshipper through the Church year. For your reading and meditation, I’m including three here for the three feast days we will celebrate in early January: The Feast of the Holy Name (January 1), The Feast of the Epiphany (January 6), and the Baptism of Our Lord (January 8). In the spirit of resolutions, I encourage you to add A Great Cloud of Witnesses, Sounding the Seasons, or some other volume to your collection of readings that can be a source of inspiration and devotion for you as we enter 2017. I wish you all a merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and a joyous Epiphany!

Faithfully,

Jeremy

The Naming of Jesus I name you now, from whom all names derive Who uttered forth the name of everything, And in that naming made the world alive, Sprung from the breath and essence of your being. The very Word that gave us words to speak, You drank in language with your mother’s milk And learned through touch before you learned to talk, You wove our week-day world, and still one week Within that world, you took your saving name, A given name, the gift of that good angel, Whose Gospel breathes in good news for us all. We call your name that we might hear a call That carries from your cradle to our graves Yeshua, Living Jesus, Yahweh Saves.

Epiphany It might have been just someone else’s story, Some chosen people get a special king. We leave them to their own peculiar glory, We don’t belong, it doesn’t mean a thing. But when these three arrive they bring us with them, Gentiles like us, their wisdom might be ours; A steady step that finds an inner rhythm, A pilgrim’s eye that sees beyond the stars. They did not know his name but still they sought him, They came from otherwhere but still they found; In temples they found those who sold and bought him, But in the filthy stable, hallowed ground. Their courage gives our questing hearts a voice To seek, to find, to worship, to rejoice.

The Baptism of Christ Beginning here we glimpse the Three-in-one; The river runs, the clouds are torn apart, The Father speaks, the Sprit and the Son Reveal to us the single loving heart That beats behind the being of all things And calls and keeps and kindles us to light. The dove descends, the spirit soars and sings ‘You are belovèd, you are my delight!’In that quick light and life, as water spills And streams around the Man like quickening rain, The voice that made the universe reveals The God in Man who makes it new again. He calls us too, to step into that river To die and rise and live and love forever.


Our Seminarians

As most of you know now, Justin Groth and Anthony Calzia are our seminarians from the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Duke Divinity School for this academic year. We welcomed them on September 25, and Drew Vermillion, Tom Kenan and the Men’s Group hosted a wonderful dinner to begin to know them and their goals and interests. They have been actively participating in our worship services, in Sunday School and in Mission and Outreach efforts including our Thanksgiving Ingathering for the Durham Rescue Mission and Share Our Christmas.

The Field Education Office at Duke Divinity School offers interesting articles and opportunities, including a monthly piece, “Engaging in the Field: Word to Supervisors”. This month’s focused on parishes as a “community of practice”, a phrase defined by Etienne Wenger and colleagues to describe committed learning communities as “Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis1.” One response to the question, “How does one become an effective and growing clergy person?” is to participate in this ongoing formational learning. Wenger says that this kind of formation engages the whole person becoming a full participant in a community, a member and a kind of person. The Field Ed Office suggests that for theological education purposes, Wenger has described the outcome of an intentional mentoring relationship that nurtures pastoral and professional identity.

A Supervisor such as Father Bob, a Lay Mentoring Team on which some of you serve, a parishioner and a parish who embrace mentoring are participating not only in the formation of a competent ministerial leader, but also “in the holy work of forming a kind of person—a clergy person.” Our seminarians, through all our skillful examples and guidance, “become observers and participants in ministerial practice. [They] experience the complex nature of this intellectually engaging, highly imaginative, socially-aware and deeply embodied experience, generating questions and conversation that will enrich both them and us”. We cannot overestimate the importance of our individual and collective efforts in providing a nurturing and non-judgmental place that helps Justin and Anthony to try out new experiences and talk about new ideas. As we lift up Justin and Anthony in our Prayers of the People each Sunday in Advent and throughout the church year, please ask our Lord for guidance, courage, insight and grace to make our parish a wonderful place for them to learn within.

1Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott and William Snyder, Cultivating Communities of Practice, Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002, 4. Varieties of clergy groups intended to sustain and encourage one another are described in So Much Better: How Thousands of Pastors Help Each Other Thrive, St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2013. Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991, 53.

Claire Doerschuk

Seminarian’s Corner Notes from the Music Director

Andrew Tyson at Carnegie Hall

As I write this on Dec. 12 (the deadline set for the January newsletter), Andrew Tyson and his parents, Marian and Martin, are probably winging their way to New York, where Andrew will perform tomorrow evening. It won’t be a run-of-the-mill recital in a lack-luster venue. It is the fifth annual Leo B. Ruiz Memorial Recital, presented by the Juilliard School, in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Andrew’s fascinating program will include three Preludes by Dutilleux, Scriabin’s third sonata, selections from Gershwin’s Songbook, and Ravel’s Miroirs. Another selection on the recital is La lutte ardente du vert de d’or (The Raging Battle of Green and Gold) by the French-Armenian composer Michel Petrossian (b. 1973). Petrossian won the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2012 for his piano concerto In the Wake of Ea. One year later Andrew had exactly one week to learn the con-certo before performing it with orchestra during the final round of the 2013 Queen Elizabeth Competition. Petrossian will be in the audience at Weill Hall.

This has been a busy year for Andrew. The December newsletter described Andrew’s October tour of Australia with the violinist Benjamin Beilman, where critics tried to outdo each other in their praise of the duo. Solo recital and concerto performances this year took Andrew to Switzerland, Germany, France, Croatia, and Russia. (How many frequent flyer miles do you suppose he’s earned?) This Fall Andrew made a recording in Paris of works by Scriabin and Ravel.

Andrew at St. Stephen’s

The first half of Andrew’s recital here at St. Stephen’s on Sunday, January 8 will consist of Schubert’s lyrical Sonata in A major, D 664 and a Chopin group (a Nocturne, a Mazurka, and the A-flat major Ballade). This is a change from the program which had been announced in the brochure of the St. Stephen’s Concert Series. Originally, the first half of the program would have been devoted to music by Scriabin.

After intermission Andrew will perform Spanish-themed pieces: Book I of Iberia by Albéniz and Liszt’s dazzling Rhapsodie Espagnole.

Andrew’s 4:00PM recital on January 8 will be the third concert of the 2016-2017 season of the St. Stephen’s Concert Series. As usual, tickets ($25) will be available at the door (cash or check only) and the concert is free for those 18 or under. A reception will follow the concert, but there will be no Pre-Concert Discussion. Two days following Andrew’s recital at St. Stephen’s, Andrew will perform the same program at Merkin Hall in New York.

Joe Kitchen


Tract Rack Ministry Last spring, the Council of Ministries identified the need for a new Tract Rack. The term “Tracts” has a historical basis from medieval times, when Tracts were writings on a religious (or political) subject that was intended to influence opinions. Presently, Tract Racks are often called Literature Racks, a name lacking the poetry and the historical implications of “Tract Rack”, but perhaps clearer in our times. Tracts are now usually short, descriptive and informative writings that often take the form of pamphlets and are widely varying in content. They usually are simple informative introductions to an idea or question, and no longer the basis for deep theological debates! This is an important ministry for helping us to answer our own questions and concerns, providing prayers, and welcoming newcomers who want to know more about St. Stephen’s and our faith.

Through the generosity of members of our parish family, we now have two tract racks, one focused on materials of interest to adults and another to children and families. For interests and concerns of adults, St. Stephen’s purchased a beautiful Tract Rack, which is located in the Narthex. The Track Rack Ministry selected pamphlets about the Episcopal Church, prayer and praying, pastoral care, prayers in times of illness, death and grief, and thoughts about stewardship. For example, there is one about labyrinths, another about centering prayer, and one about Beauty and the Spiritual Life.

There is also information about St. Stephen’s, including our windows, the organ, our ministries and our 2016-2017 Concert Series, as well as our Diocesan Gospel-based Discipleship: Engaging People with the Gospel. Copies of quarterly Forward Day by Day are available.

The Family’s and Children’s Tract Rack is beautiful. Francis and Jim Stewart, two members of our Tract Rack Ministry, had the insight to see the potential for our former Track Rack to be repaired, decorated and dedicated to a new purpose of serving our children and families (see picture). Francis, who has much experience with children and childhood education, knew what children would find attractive and appealing. The Children’s Tract Rack is on top of the children’s bookcase in the Narthex and is well-stocked with materials that are focused on children and families, including pamphlets about prayers and praying with children, raising children of faith, baptism, children receiving Holy Communion, youth serving as acolytes, families and family prayer. The Tract Rack Ministry is a terrific group of people who select the materials to be in the Tract Racks. We meet mostly by email. It’s a pretty large group, but when at

least a quorum meets, we do come up with interesting ideas, like the Children’s Tract Rack! More folks are always welcome. Anyone can submit an idea or a need for a pamphlet, and please just let me or Father Bob know. We welcome all thoughts, and the Tract Rack is intended to serve the congregation.

One example of how we hope that the Tract Rack can serve as a nidus for prayer and peace is in the prayer cards from “Prayers for an Election Season”, which Father Bob asked us to make each week for the six

weeks prior to the election on November 7. This series of daily prayers was taken mostly from the Book of Common Prayer and included a litany based on a publication from Forward Movement. On Election Day, we made a booklet of the entire series available to those voting at St. Stephen’s who chose to stop in the opened church before or after voting. The Chief Judge for St. Stephen’s polling place was very impressed and wanted one for herself! Many parishioners seemed glad to have the prayer cards, and a number sent very kind notes about them. A second example was the pamphlets about different aspects of Advent. The insert in the bulletin for each Sunday in Advent included a little article drawn and adapted from these Advent pamphlets. The other side included the Collect and a commentary by Rev. Dr. Marion Hatchett. There was also an Advent Calendar at the Tract Rack, which many chose to use. We are very open to other suggestions. We hope to include materials for each season.

Missions and Outreach St. Stephen’s and the St. Stephen’s Preschool cosponsored a food drive for Thanksgiving for the Durham Rescue Mission. Thanks to the generosity of church and preschool families, an RV owned by our seminarian Anthony Calzia was filled with food to help serve 4,000 guests for the holidays. Preschool children and Anthony's children helped load the RV that he drove to the Rescue Mission the Monday before Thanksgiving. Many thanks to all those who helped make this possible! Please see elsewhere for more information about these and other events.

Parish Life Please see elsewhere in this Newsletter for the wonderful events that happened in December and the ones coming up. Also, we are looking for folks to help occasionally with refreshments following the 10:30 service. If you would like to (or are feeling a touch guilty about having enjoyed other’s but not been part of one yourself!), please let Sally Bugg or Claire Doerschuk know. It can be very simple, and everyone enjoys the coffee hours immensely, no matter what!

Council of Ministries Updates


Continued on next page.

To family and friends of the youth, We are sad to see 2016 end, but thrilled about the possibil-ities for 2017. We will start the new year off right with a "Gospel According to Pixar" movie night Friday, January 13 from 6 pm until 8 pm in the Davis Room. We will watch "Monsters, Inc." and provide take-home activities for attendees who wish to explore the ways in which the movie mirrors our own faith formation. Dinner and movie snacks will be provided. Absolutely everyone is welcome to attend whether you are a child, a youth, or an adult who just can't get enough Pixar in their lives. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Metzen at [email protected]. Additionally, we have a lot happening in February so please note that Superbowl Sunday, February 5, following both services, youth will be selling chili as a fundraiser. Order forms will be made available throughout the church as well as inserted in the bulletin. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Metzen. Additionally, we are planning a community chili dinner for Saturday, February 4, for those parishioners who like good company with their delicious chili. More details are to come so please keep an eye out for that. Perhaps you aren't a member of the youth group, but still looking for some ways to get involved with the St. Stephen's community. Better Read Than Dead may be the ticket! We are a group of adult parishioners who meet once a month to discuss a previously assigned book. Even if you don't have the time to read beforehand, join us at Bean Trader's (Homestead Market, 105 W North Carolina 54 #249, Durham, NC 27713) to see if it is something that interests you. We will meet next Tuesday, January 16 at 6:30 pm. Because we don't meet in December, we will be reading two books to compare and contrast: "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible" by A. J. Jacobs and "A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband 'Master'" by Rachel Held Evans. Wishing you a wonderful new year,

Stephanie Metzen

From the Youth Director Words of Thanks

In Gratitude for Stewardship

Our faith and call to action is strong! Our commitment to being a faithful, loving community continues—in parish life and mission, education and youth ministry, worship and music.

The Annual Pledge Campaign is building strength. To date, we have over 100 families who’ve pledged, and we thank you! We are at 78% of our goal for participation. (If you have not yet made your pledge, there is still time. We appreciate your communicating your intent to give before Dec 30, 2016.)

Pledging is a critical part of how we carry out the mission of St. Stephen's. Pledges and donations go beyond words and numbers; all of us walk together in faith and in service to God and neighbor. What you do makes a difference to all of us, and we appreciate your time, your talent, and any way you give to the Lord's work at St. Stephen’s. Thank you for your generous response to the Annual Pledge Campaign, and for your continued commitment in prayer, in presence, and in action during the coming year.

Thank you all for your time, talents, energy, donations and assistance with the beautiful reception for Jean Losee.

Martina Gardner-Woods

Dear Parish family,

While this may sound trite, there are not enough hours to write individual notes to all who have been so supportive during Jean’s long illness. Her funeral and reception were indeed a celebration of a life lived to the fullest extent possible. She was a bright light to all whose many lives she reached out to and touched. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE FOR OUR FAMILY!! Let me close by repeating what our older son said— “Remember, Pop, the ‘C’ in Christ is bigger than the ‘c’ in cancer.”

Yours in Christ,

Bill Losee

We would like to offer congratulations to our Sexton, Kevin Kelly. His team won their Senior Tournament in Charlotte. They are now two times defending Champs! (Kevin is #25)

mailto:[email protected]


Share Our Christmas 2016

I would like to thank everyone who participated with the Share Our Christmas this year. We were able to provide Christ-mas to 39 individuals through your generous gifts and donations. I would also like to extend a thank you to the Young at Heart group. During their December cookie exchange, they wrapped all of the unwrapped gifts. Frank Lyon also treated us to pizza. A fun time was had by all. A special thanks goes to Kevin Kelly and Justin Groth who supported the wrapping of the gifts and the movement of gifts to Fr. Bob’s office and then back to the Parish Hall on Sunday morning for the blessing of the gifts.

Jayne Cunningham

Words of Thanks (continued)

Thanks to our seminarian, Anthony Calzia, and his children, we sent off the food offerings from our Parish & Preschool Food Drive to the Durham Rescue Mission. Pictured are Anthony and his children along with the Pre-K classes. We are

indeed blessed!


Looking for something new to read for the New Year? You’ll find it in the parish library. We have a variety of donated books that offer excellent reading opportunities in both fiction and nonfiction. We are pleased to have received three novels by Pulitzer Prize winning author Marilynne Robinson: Gilead (2004), Home (2008), and Lila (2014).

These previous selections of the St. Stephen’s book club were generously donated by Peg Lewis, and Stephanie Metzen, book club member and coordinator, offers these comments: “The books examine the spiritual and interpersonal relationships of family and friends from a small town in Iowa as characters are faced with reality of human mortality. Slow in action, but rich with nuance, these novels demonstrate how all of our actions affect those around us and shape who we become. It has been a pleasure to discuss three generations of a family in book club, debating the merits of these characters, their choices, and how their faith has been manifested.” Two other books donated by Lewis are particularly relevant for the challenges of today’s world, both by Samuel Wells, former Dean of Duke Chapel and Professor of Ethics at Duke Divinity School. Now serving as vicar of a church in London, Wells published these books while he was in Durham from 2005-2012.

In Be Not Afraid: Facing Fear by Faith, Wells considers the common fears of our times (viz., the fear of death, weakness, power, difference, faith, and life) and offers insights and remedies from the gospel to give us hope and courage. Pastor Lillian Daniel calls him “a modern-day C.S. Lewis” and describes the book as a “witty, vulnerable, challenging delight, a perfect bedtime companion in dark nights of the soul, and a worthy friend when the lights come back on.”

The second book, Living Without Enemies: Being Present in the Midst of Violence, has received equally high praise, here from Christian author Phyllis Tickle, who says it was “moving beyond anything I would or could have expected.” The book is part of a series produced by Duke Divinity School paring theologians with on-the-ground practitioners in an effort to advance “God’s mission of reconciliation in a divided world.” It’s a collaboration between Wells and Marcia Owens, executive director of the Religious Coalition for a Non-Violent Durham, in which the theologian and the activist each share their reflections and experiences in working for peace and justice right here in our own community. You may remember that a few years ago Owens came to St. Stephen’s with the mother of a victim of gun violence, and the two women talked about local prayer vigils and other efforts to deal with grief and heal divisions. On a lighter note, you’ll find several books donated by Debbie Breuer, including this one: Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Memoir by bestselling author Susan E. Issacs. Comedian Jim Gaffigan says: “Susan’s brilliantly comic idea of taking God to couples therapy is a terrific framework for the story of her personal journey of faith.” Inspiration, information, and entertainment: the parish library has something for everyone. Please note: We appreciate donations of new or well preserved books and media materials that support the library’s mission. However, space is limited and donors are urged to check with the librarian before leaving books.

Ellen Baer

New Additions to the Library


Parish News

Children’s Chapel Service

Located in the Chapel

During the 10:30 service from the time of the Gospel

Hymn to the Peace (10:45 a.m.– 11:15 a.m.)

Open to all Kindergarten students and four-year olds,

younger children welcome accompanied by a parent.

A child-friendly introduction to the Episcopal Church:

Music, Responses, Bible Story/Lesson, Prayer, and

Orientation to the Church Year. If you are interested in

volunteering to help with this service or for more infor-

mation, please contact Jeremy

([email protected]). Please invite folks

with young children to come!

Note: Children’s Music Time will still be offered.

Nursery is also still available for children, birth through

age 4. This new Children’s Chapel service provides an-

other option for children, a worship experience that we

hope will help to transition them to the 10:30 service.

Wednesday, January 25 at 3:00 p.m. in the Davis

Room. Needle crafters of all

types are invited to join us.

Still learning? The Stitchers

will be glad to assist you.

Questions, please contact

Bobbie Nielsen (919-452-4751,

[email protected]).

The Young at Heart will gather

for their Annual “Share Your

Favorite Soup Recipe” and

salad luncheon on January 18th

at 10:30 a.m. in the Davis

Room. Please bring your favorite

soup in a crock pot or in a pot that is heated on the stove

and copies of the recipe to share; salad will be provided.

Come join us for food, fellowship, and our guest speaker!

NEWS

Weekly Bible Study

Bible Study meets from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. each Tuesday

in the Davis Room. Our study has focused on readings

from the Old Testament. Mr. David Winer, a dedicated

student of the Torah and an Old Testament scholar, con-

ducts the study as an open-ended, spontaneous inquiry

into topics that concern the members of the group. Our

main goal is to draw closer to God by study, but we also

grow to love and appreciate each other in this journey of

faith. Our study is quite informal and unintimidating so

all are welcome. Just pick up a Bible and join us for

stimulating talk and enlightened understanding of the

Bible.

Lay Pastoral Care If you have a prayer request for a loved one or yourself and would like to be included in the Prayer Network’s daily prayers, please contact Holly Latty-Mann, Martina Gardner Woods, Claire ([email protected]) or the Church Office. For prayers in the Sunday service’s Inter-cessions (Prayers of the People), please contact Claire, Father Bob or the Church Office. To request a Eucharis-tic visit or other needs for yourself or loved one, please contact Claire or Father Bob.

Adult Inquirer’s Class

In preparation for the Bishop’s Visitation next year on

Easter Sunday (Apr il 16, 2017), we will be having an

Adult Inquirer’s class beginning in January. While

this class can serve as preparation for those who wish to

be confirmed in the Episcopal Church, it is also open to

anyone in the parish who wants to learn more about the

Episcopal Church (or needs a refresher course).

If you are interested in participating, please contact Jere-

my ([email protected]) by Friday, January

6. The schedule of classes will be determined according

to the availability of the participants.

Children’s Choir School

The Spring Semester will run from January 3 through

June 6, (no rehearsal during Durham Public Schools’

Spring Break, the week of April 10). The Choir School

takes place on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00

p.m. and specific schedule details can be located on the

website.

Students can join at any time during the year. There will

be one concert and one Sunday morning service each

semester in addition to the weekly rehearsal. There is a

registration fee of $25 and a tuition fee of $20/week. The

tuition includes all materials for the year, snacks, and a

vestment. We also have two teachers in our program,

which allows for more individualized attention for our

students.

For tuition payment plan options, more information, or to

register, please visit: www.sscsdurham.org.





http://www.sscsdurham.org


Faith Milestones

Deaths

Jean Gilpatrick Losee November 28, 2016

Anniversaries

Tom & Ann Vaughan 1/14

Walter & Donna James 1/15

Bill & Kathy McPherson 1/15

John & Sally Graham 1/20

Drew & Margaret Vermillion 1/30

Mal & Amanda Watlington 1/30

For restoration of body and spirit: Agnes, Andy, Araba, Benji, Doc, Dottie B., Dottie

S., Ed, Helen, JoeAnne, Julia, Kit, Libby, Louane,

Lyn, Marion, Martina, Nicole, Noah, and Peggy.

and also for friends and family members of St.

Stephen’s parishioners:

Adriana and Sasha, grandchildren of Adriana; Alice,

friend of Nancy; Arthur, friend of Tom; Bill, friend of

Martina; Blair, friend of Drew; Carolyn, mother of Liz;

Carson, child of Jennifer ; Charlie, fr iend of Ebet &

Bob; Corinne and Michelle, granddaughters of Mary Kay;

Courtney, niece of Har ry & Jane; Courtney, daughter

of Lorraine & Uriel; Craig, a friend of the Preschool;

Debbie, mother of Bob; Diane, fr iend of Nancy; Doris

and Jean, friends of Carolyn; Ed, father of Maggie; Gene,

friend of Kofi; Grace, mother of Craig; Harvey, son of

Martina; Iris, mother of Jeanna; Jamie, friend of Araba;

Jane, niece of Scott; Jessica, fr iend of Kate; John,

husband of Bonnie; John and Dot, friends of Michelle &

John; Jon, grandson of Scott; Judith, friend of Tom; June,

mother of Linda; Kathleen, friend of Priscilla & Derek;

Kim, family member of Nancy; Megan, niece/goddaughter

of Nancy; Mike, brother-in-law of Hazel; Nello, friend of

Bill & Ginger; Nicholas, friend of Sue; Pam, friend of Bob;

Renée, niece of Derek; Richard, father of Xavier ;

Robert, son of Jean; Ruth, fr iend of Ginger and Sally;

Sophie, great-granddaughter of Janet; Steve, Chuck’s

cousin’s husband; Teresa, mother-in-law of Jeremy; Tina,

friend of Cis; Virginia, daughter of Alice; Virginia, sister

of Scott; Worrell & Gwendoline, parents of Wendy;

Yolanda, fr iend of Ur iel.

In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer:

Week of January 1: Church of the Ascension Fork, Advance; Christ Church, Albemarle; and All Souls’, Ansonville

Week of January 8: Good Shepherd, Asheboro; St. John’s, Battleboro; and Church of the Holy Comforter, Burlington

Week of January 15: St. Paul’s, Cary; Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill; and Church of the Holy Family, Chapel Hill

Week of January 22: Church of the Advocate, Chapel Hill; Chapel of Christ The King, Charlotte; and Christ Church, Charlotte

Week of January 29: Church of the Holy Comforter, Charlotte; St. John’s, Charlotte; and St. Martin’s, Charlotte

Prayer Requests Dates to Remember

Birthdays

Ginger King 1/1

Jack Watson 1/2

Francheska Macerou 1/3

Jenn Stark 1/3

Nicholas Livengood 1/5

Borden Vermillion 1/6

Ama Mensah-Boone 1/7

Harry McPherson 1/9

Marleen Sasso 1/12

Cameron Hayward 1/13

Bristol Winslow 1/14

Dick Boyd 1/16

Melrose Fisher 1/16

Linda Gale 1/17

Cindi Salmons 1/17

Drew Littlewood 1/17

Jackson Grau 1/17

Donald Serafin 1/18

John Thomas 1/18

Josie Abernethy 1/19

Cathy Lavin 1/22

Michael Fisher 1/22

Sydney Vermillion 1/22

Evan Shearer 1/24

Mary Fry Haywood 1/26

Evan Ballew 1/28

Stephanie Dean 1/30

Helena Stark 1/31

Madison Stark 1/31


Ministers

The Most Holy Name of our Lord

Jesus Christ January 1

The First Sunday after the Epiphany

January 8

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

January 15

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

January 29

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

January 22

8:00 a.m.

Holy Eucharist: Rite I

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist:

Rite I


Rite I


Rite I


Rite I

Celebrant Robert K. Kaynor Stephen J.

Elkins-Williams Robert K. Kaynor

Stephen J. Elkins-Williams

Robert K. Kaynor

Preacher Anthony Calzia Stephen J.



Justin Groth

Eucharistic Minister

Anthony Calzia Claire Doerschuk Nancy Ciaffone Claire Doerschuk Justin Groth

Reader Bobby Nielsen Matt Breuer Anthony Calzia Justin Groth Bill McPherson

Intercessor Justin Groth Libby Whitaker Sally Markham Jack Graham Anthony Calzia

Usher(s) Debbie & Matt

Breuer Linda & Chuck

Cushman Page Wilson Louise Pannill John Bugg

10:30 AM

Holy Eucharist, Rite II

10:30 AM Holy Eucharist,

Rite II


Rite II


Rite II


Rite II

Celebrant/Officiant

Robert K. Kaynor Robert K. Kaynor W. Derek Shows Robert K. Kaynor Stephen J.

Elkins-Williams

Preacher Anthony Calzia Stephen J.



Justin Groth

Assisting Priest

— — — Robert K. Kaynor —

Deacon — Maggie Silton — Maggie Silton —

Subdeacon (Server)

Anthony Calzia Kate Fagan-Solis Jeremy Godwin Megan Carlson Justin Groth

Eucharistic Ministers

Justin Groth Uriel Reid

Norm Woods Megan Carlson

Sue Kaynor Priscilla Shows

Sue Kaynor Norm Woods

Anthony Calzia Pat Serafin

Acolytes TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Lector (1st Lesson)

Ann Barlow Bob Stevens Frank Goodwin Uriel Reid Kit Bick

Lector (Psalm) Jeanna Tiller Justin Groth Anthony Calzia Priscilla Shows Michele Hayward

Lector (Epistle)

TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Intercessor Sue Kaynor Lucy Pertucelli Justin Groth Anthony Calzia Jack Watson

Ushers Dick Boyd

Allen Killam Sally Hunsucker

Allen Killam Kate Fagan-Solis

Hazel Viola Ian Shearer

Kate Fagan-Solis

Gary Bressler Sumner, Henry, &

Drayton Virkler

Altar Guild Margy Pless Susan Griffin

Bobbie Nielsen

Penny Dabal Leigh Ballou

Margaret Rouse

Penny Dabal Leigh Ballou

Margaret Rouse

Margy Pless Bobbie Nielsen Nancy Ciaffone

Margy Pless Bobbie Nielsen Nancy Ciaffone

Greeter(s) Martina Gardner-

Woods Martina Gardner-




Woods


Non-Profit Organization US Postage

PAID Durham, NC 27705

Permit No. 59

Return Service Requested

St. Stephen's is a parish within the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, part of the world-wide Anglican Communion.

www.dionc.org

The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple Bishop Pro Tempore

The Rt. Rev. Peter Lee Assisting Bishop

St. Stephen’s Staff

The Rev. Robert K. Kaynor

Rector [email protected]

The Rev. Stephen J. Elkins-Williams

Priest-in-Residence [email protected]

The Rev. Dr. Derek Shows

Priest Associate

The Rev. Maggie Silton [email protected]

Deacon

Dr. Joseph Kitchen Music Director and Organist

[email protected]

Dr. Nathan Leaf Choir Director

[email protected]

Jihyun Park Children’s Music Director

[email protected]

Jeremy Godwin Director of Christian Education [email protected]

Stephanie Metzen

Youth Director [email protected]

Burke Raper

Business Manager [email protected]

Tamiko Sanders

Preschool Director [email protected]

Catherine Oakley

Parish Administrator [email protected]

Katie Curran

Parish Secretary [email protected]

Kevin Kelly

Sexton [email protected]

Clyde Stephens

Parish Life and Staff Assistant

The 57th

Vestry and Officers of St. Stephen’s

Norm Woods, Senior Warden Russ Tiller Junior Warden Bob Bullock, Acting Treasurer

Jenn Stark, Clerk Ellen Baer Dick Boyd Matt Breuer Megan Carlson Sydney Culp

Jayne Cunningham Kate Fagan-Solis Lucien Roughton, Jr.

The Office will be closed on Monday, January 16 for MLK Day.

The deadline for the February newsletter is Tuesday, January 17.

The Office looks forward to receiving your submissions!

Service of Holy Eucharist in Celebration of

The Feast of the Epiphany Friday, January 6

7:30 p.m. in Teer Chapel

Vestry Openings

There are four openings to be filled in 2017. This rewarding commitment is for three years. The Vestry is made up of members of the parish who are confirmed communicants in good standing, at least 18 years old, and who have made a financial pledge to the support of the congregation. If you are interested in serving, or would like to nominate someone to serve, please contact Senior Warden Norm Woods (919-943-7871 or [email protected]). Other vestry members serving on the Nominating Committee are Sydney Culp, Jayne Cunningham, and Jenn Stark.

http://www.dionc.org















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